Artificial Intelligence and Artificial Sentience

[Peter]

I'm writing a conversation in my latest book about artificial intelligence and artificial sentience. Do you think these are possible? If they are, is this a problem for Theists?

Quote from Al Gleeson (one of my book characters):

"There's no such thing as a smart computer, only smart programmers."

For more background information see my blog ... http://wp.me/p4cZo4-19

[Jake]

I am not a dualist (I think sometimes that we are just artificially intelligent machines ourselves), so I don't see any reason why a machine cannot be sentient. I am not sure we could ever match the organic structure of the human brain, though, so in anything we create there will probably remain a certain robotic 'stiffness.'

It may be a problem for a number of theories of the soul within certain theistic traditions, but artificial intelligence shouldn't really have any direct bearing on theism in general. It doesn't contradict the cosmological argument, for instance (not that I am a huge fan of the argument).

[Peter]

Jake wrote: "I am not a dualist (I think sometimes that we are just artificially intelligent machines ourselves), so I don't see any reason why a machine cannot be sentient. I am not sure we could ever match th..."

By dualist in this context, I think you mean "having both a soul and a body." So I think you are saying we only have a body (am I right?).

Jake, it seems to me that if we're merely machines, however complex, then we can't have free will. Wouldn't every one of my decisions be compelled by my chemistry (assuming I'm a chemical machine)? If I have a soul and the supernatural exists, there is at least the possibility that there's a real me that could decide unfettered by the compulsion of cause and effect.

What do you think? Did I comprehend your point correctly?

[Jake]

Hi Peter,
No, I would actually side more with the idea that we only have a soul. I see Time as more of an unfolding of something eternal, rather than a dynamic process that is 'happening.' So while every event is causally determined in 'time,' it is all rooted in something eternal and undetermined - God's will.
But I don't believe God is outside of us, as though he were a puppeteer moving us this way or that from the outside.
The way I understand things, our will is rooted in Him, and he is not determined by anything. So while our individual actions are each connected with causes, the whole sequence is rooted in the absolute freedom of God.
Nothing causally determines his will because there is nothing preceding it - it is pure volition, not fettered by anything whatsoever.

[Peter]

Jake wrote: "Hi Peter,
No, I would actually side more with the idea that we only have a soul. I see Time as more of an unfolding of something eternal, rather than a dynamic process that is 'happening.' So while..."

Hello Jake,

What you say makes a lot of sense. It allows for a rational world of cause and effect, yet captures the very human proclivity for believing and acting as if we have authentic free will (I genuinely believe I have choices and therefore have responsibility).

Thanks for the response.

[Robert]

Peter - as I wrote in my book Creation Strikes Back, plants use hormones for artificial intelligence.

[Peter]

Robert wrote: "Peter - as I wrote in my book Creation Strikes Back, plants use hormones for artificial intelligence."

Thanks Robert, I'll have to go back and re-read that section since I did not remember it.

[Rod]

Interesting discussion:

I'm happy to see any intelligence at all.

[Robert]

Ha! Ha! Peter - I too have choices, but take NO responsibility. Anything that goes wrong I blame on liberals!